But no matter where you are from, everyone in the Commonwealth is thought of as equal.

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The Commonwealth Secretariat provides guidance on policy making, technical assistance and advisory services to Commonwealth member countries. It supports governments to help achieve sustainable, inclusive and equitable development.

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Helping every voice to be heard

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Marlborough House in London became the headquarters of the Commonwealth in 1965. Today, it houses the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Foundation, and has been the venue for a number of independence negotiations and many Commonwealth conferences, including summit meetings of Commonwealth Heads of Government.

What do we do together?

We all work hard together to help the countries that are part of our family.

Of course, with so many different countries and people in the Commonwealth, there are many different ways we can support each other.

We are connected by a network of more than 80 international organisations.

Every two years our governments meet and discuss the challenges they face, explore solutions to them and agree on what things are most important.

Here are some of the things we all agree are very important.

Our Environment

Rising sea levels caused by climate change are an immediate threat to our many islands. That’s why we were one of the first organisations to talk about the effects of this. We are proud that many Commonwealth countries are among those leaving the smallest ecological footprint in the world.

Our Development

We help to create opportunities for countries where poverty is a very real problem.

Our human rights

We promote democracy and human rights – we want all people to be treated fairly and to enjoy the same freedoms as others. We have helped monitor more than 130 elections in 36 countries since 1980 and, in the last 25 years, we have helped create 12 democracies.

Our young people

Young people make up more than half of our family and represent our future. We want you to have the best education possible so you can achieve your goals.

Our members

Many of the smaller or less powerful members of our family can struggle to make themselves heard on the international stage. We give them a platform to be heard from.

How do we work?

You can think of us working as a funnel – channelling the energies and ideas of every Commonwealth country into the same problems.

Or you can think of us working as a loudspeakeramplifying each of our voices.